The Cleveland Browns have shocked the football world, starting the season with a 5-2 record, but one thing still hangs over their heads: what they'll do at quarterback next season.

Cleveland will face a difficult decision about whether to re-sign Deshaun Watson to a new contract next spring and let him start in 2027. However, the Browns also have a handful of veteran options they could explore next year.

The Bridge: QBs to the rookie

Cleveland will likely be in the mix to draft a rookie quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft, but it might end up selecting one in the middle of the first round rather than at the beginning. If that's the case, the Browns could use the 2027 season to let the rookie quarterback learn as much as possible behind the veteran they bring in to start next season. Here are some names to consider.

Deshaun Watson:  Let's revisit the Watson situation. Coming into the season, the Browns had no intention of offering Watson a new contract after this year. But winning is crucial in the NFL, and securing five wins in the first seven games is significant. Watson will need to continue performing well over the next ten games for Cleveland to even consider re-signing him. If he does, he wouldn't be a bad option for the Browns as a bridge quarterback for a rookie next season. Spotrac listed his market value at $20 million over two years, or $10 million per season, so the Browns could get behind it.

Shedeur Sanders: The Browns still have Sanders on the roster, and head coach Todd Monken could use this season to prepare him to start in 2027. Cleveland drafted Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he started seven games last season. He was not ready to be a starting quarterback in his rookie season. Sanders was in a quarterback competition all offseason with Watson, and if Watson had performed poorly in the Week 2 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there was a chance the Browns would bench Watson and move on to Sanders.

Just because Sanders is unlikely to start this season doesn’t mean the Browns have given up on him starting games down the road.

Mac Jones: It was a little surprising that the San Francisco 49ers didn't consider trading Jones this offseason, especially after he performed well backing up Brock Purdy last season. He appeared in 11 games, started eight, and finished with a record of 5-3. Jones threw for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. However, he will be a free agent this offseason and could be looking for an opportunity to start somewhere.

Sam Darnold was on a similar path to Jones, bouncing around a few teams before landing with the 49ers as Purdy's backup. Darnold found his footing by signing a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, where he started 17 games and went 14-3. He then signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seahawks in March 2025, and just 11 months later, he won the Super Bowl.

Jones could follow a similar trajectory to Darnold: start for the Browns for a season, perform well, and then secure a big payday from another team, especially since Cleveland could transition to a rookie it drafts in 2027 and let them start in 2028.

Davis Mills: Mills has been with the Houston Texans for the last five seasons and is set to enter the free agent market. He has appeared in 44 games, starting 29, with eight wins, 19 losses, and one tie. With C.J. Stroud expected to sign a long-term extension with the Texans soon, Mills will be looking for a new team, and Cleveland could be an option.

Ties to Todd Monken

Stetson Bennett: Bennett and Monken go back to college football at Georgia from 2020 to 2022. Moken served as the Bulldogs' offensive coordinator for three seasons, while Bennett was the starting quarterback in 2021 and 2022, helping Georgia win back-to-back national titles. Bennett has been with the Rams the last four seasons and will be a free agent this offseason. He has appeared in only two games, throwing two passes for 13 yards, but if the Browns sign him, he could start for a few games until the rookie is ready.

Big swing candidate

Justin Herbert: Herbert may be looking at playing for a new team next season, as the Chargers are currently 0-6 and might be considering a total rebuild. If the Chargers identify a rookie quarterback they like at the top of next year's draft, they could trade Herbert to regain draft capital to build around the new quarterback. Cleveland has gone down this road before, trading three first-round picks for Watson, and it has backfired. But Herbert would likely get only two first-round picks and a little more capital since he turns 29 in March.

Young QBs looking for a new home

Cam Ward: The Browns almost had the opportunity to select Ward in the 2025 NFL Draft if they had lost one more game and secured the No. 1 pick instead of No. 2. The Titans chose Ward with the No. 1 pick, and he has been a disaster. Ward has started 24 games over the past two seasons, throwing for 4,348 yards and 19 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, and has only four wins to show for it.

Ward didn't find himself in the best situation when he arrived in Tennessee, as the Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan six weeks into last season. The Titans demonstrated how little they believe in Ward by trading their star defensive tackle, Jeffery Simmons, to the Chicago Bears on Thursday for two first-round picks. Perhaps a change of scenery could help Ward, and he wouldn’t cost much, as failed first-round picks usually don’t command high draft capital.

Bryce Young: There is a very low chance—about 1%—that the Panthers will move on from Bryce Young this offseason. The Panthers are currently 3-4. If this record doesn’t improve much and they're in a position to take a quarterback early in the first round, Carolina could move on from Young.

Young is in the last year of his rookie contract, but Carolina has picked up his fifth-year option for 2027. If the Panthers are not interested in extending Young long-term, he could become a trade candidate. A similar situation occurred in 2022 with the Browns and Baker Mayfield, who was also a No. 1 pick. The Browns decided not to pay him as he approached his fifth-year option, which led them to trade for Watson.